Stupefacente (astonishing) was a boat
name that combines the Italian meaning of something that arouses wonder with a legal connotation related to drugs. She was an exceptional boat, distinguished by an emotional heritage and an innovative design. She stood out as an incredibly simple boat, a decade ahead of her counterparts – an Open 50 crafted by Jean Berret, then a leading figure in ocean racing yacht design. The collaboration with Berret was
remarkable; I had approached him with a report titled ‘Looping et après’, co-authored with Yves Parlier, the victorious skipper of the previous BOC on Looping. In our meet- ings I not only presented my observations but also proposed a series of new ideas to enhance the design. I had recently reconnected with an old
schoolfriend who was employed in the Saman community near Latina, not far from Rome. I proposed the idea of con- structing a boat within the community’s premises. He discussed it with his super - visor, who approved the project. They allocated a shed for our use and, with the assistance of four other friends, we care- fully organised and prepared the area. From the beginning we attempted to
involve the individuals from the commu- nity, who were initially uncertain about this new venture. I dedicated myself to the build for the next eight months and it proved to be a positive experience, not only practically but also on a human level. There is no doubt that the project made
a beneficial impact on the lives of some of the young men involved, who would go on to find employment in more established boatyards. One of my core boatbuilders (not related to the community) included a very young Stefan Falcon, who today holds a very responsible role at the South- ern Wind boatyard in Cape Town. Upon the completion of the build, Kodak also came onboard as a sponsor, once again facilitated by Boscoscuro of Viaggidea – who arranged meetings for me with some of his influential clients. The crux of securing a sponsor lies in
reaching the decision-makers, but the key is to convey your enthusiasm directly and with authenticity. I had a meeting with Mr Peretti, the marketing manager of Kodak Italia, where I proposed a trial arrange- ment: they would sponsor the launch and my participation in the Roma-x2 Race. Subsequently, we would assess the situa- tion to gauge the project’s return for them. In the event of a positive response Kodak Italia would sponsor my 1995 solo round- the-world race, and the boat would be named Kodak. Otherwise, the Kodak logo would simply adorn a spinnaker, and I would take lots of photos during the race! The scheme was a great success as I
emerged victorious in the Roma-x2 and so Kodak Italia remained as my sponsor! SH: After Kodak came new sponsors… GS: After completing the round-the-world race in 1995, Kodak stepped back and Telecom Italia stepped in, lending its name
56 SEAHORSE
to the boat. In 1996 I participated in the Ostar, setting a 24-hour record for a 50-footer that remains unbeaten today and securing second place overall in the mono- hull category… beating the first 60-footer home by two hours, with a line of other Open 60s trailing behind! In 1997, when I decided to change boat, I
connected with Fila. Once again it was the result of a chain of relationships: an Italian manager overseeing Fila America spotted me at the conclusion of the 1996 Ostar. He provided me with the contact of Fila’s CEO, leading to a fruitful meeting upon my return to Italy. This meeting resulted in a new project for a new Open 60 designed by Finot-Conq. Telecom remained onboard with Fila, honouring its original commit- ment with nearly 30 per cent of the sponsor- ship budget. Additionally, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, which had financed the boat’s construction, contributed 10 per cent. Following the Around Alone Race in
1999, where I rescued Isabelle Autissier and still secured the victory, I had arguably reached a pinnacle in my racing career… but not the end of it! However, with these sponsors and a
good record of success, for the first time I now had the freedom to put together pro- grammes with fewer budgetary con- straints. So in 2000 I handed over the 60ft Fila to Guido Broggi and Bruno Laurent for the TJV, where they suffered a broken forestay (later they did a nice job in the Tour of Europe). Meanwhile, I was absorbed building a new 60ft trimaran! Given this amazing chance I had realised
that such a magical moment – with time and money on my side – might not easily occur again. So I opted for an Orma 60 trimaran, the premier class of its era. A class famous for extreme demands, where boat structures and sailors were constantly pushed to the limits; yet there were no fewer than 21 of these extraordinarily high- performance boats on the starting line. It transpired that those years spent with the trimaran would prove to be exceedingly
testing, for a variety of reasons, yet simulta- neously incredibly stimulating because the sailing itself was breathtakingly exciting. During this time I parted ways with Fila
as a sponsor, but Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) stepped in to take over. In 2002 we experienced a dismasting in the English Channel, but later the adventure came to a dramatic end with a capsize 1,000 miles from Dakar resulting in the unfortunate loss of my boat. SH: After the trimaran a Class40, right? GS: After the trimaran experience there followed a year of exploration, working out my new budgetary and sporting con- siderations. Towards the end of 2007 I kicked off the construction of a Class40, maintaining the partnership with Telecom Italia. The boat was designed by Guil- laume Verdier, and I rented a small flat near his office for daily discussions about the design. Subsequently I also closely monitored the yacht’s construction. She proved to be a successful boat and I
held the top position in the Class40 world ranking for three consecutive years. Rac- ing with Pietro D’Alì we won the 2007 Transat Jacques Vabre and subsequently I took victory in nearly every event within the class. The boat continues to sail today, now in the ownership of a Belgian sailor. But before selling her I chartered her out and later lent her to Alberto Bona for par- ticipation in the Transat Jacques Vabre. SH: After the Class40 came Maserati? GS: Following my stint with the Class40, during a transatlantic crossing aboard John Elkann’s ‘super-monohull’ Stealth (originally built for Gianni Agnelli), I sug- gested the idea of establishing a Volvo Ocean Race project in collaboration with the prestigious Yacht Club Italiano. John was enthusiastic, to the extent that
he acquired the Volvo 70 Ericsson 3, winner of the previous race. However, sponsor- ship for a Volvo project under the Fiat brand never materialised due to a conflict between competing automotive brands. But despite the Volvo project not coming
BILLY BLACK/DPPI
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110
